This week, the first round of northern hemisphere wine gold and gold outstanding medal winners in this year's International Wine & Spirit Competition were announced. Here's the list so far, by country.

Earlier this week, the northern hemisphere wine gold medal winners in this year's International Wine & Spirit Competition were announced. Click here for the winners from Canada, England, France, Germany and Hungary, while the gold medal winners from Italy, Portugal, Spain and the US are listed below.

Trade shows are so much part of the fabric of the wine business that it is hard to imagine life without them. But Richard Woodard asks if the industry can support such a large number of international fairs and whether they provide true value for money.